Wind power in Pennsylvania

There are more than twenty wind power projects operating in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The most productive wind energy regions generally fall in mountain or coastal terrains. The northern portion of the Appalachian chain, including most of Southwestern Pennsylvania, is one of the areas with the highest potential for wind energy in the Eastern United States. The mountain ridges of central and northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Poconos in the eastern part of the state, offer some of the best wind resources in the region.[1]

Turbines at the Somerset Wind Farm in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

If all wind energy potential in Pennsylvania was developed with utility-scale wind turbines, the power produced each year would be enough to supply 6.4% of the state's current electricity consumption.[2] In 2016 the state had 1369 megawatts (MW) of wind powered electricity generating capacity, responsible for 1.6% of in-state electricity production.[3] This increased to 1459 MW in 2019.[4]

History
Turbines at the Highland North Wind Farm in Cambria County, PA.

In 2006, Pennsylvania's legislature ruled that wind turbines and related equipment may not be included in property-tax assessments. Instead, the sites of wind facilities are assessed for their income-capitalization value.

In 2007, Montgomery County became the first wind-powered county in the nation, with a two-year commitment to buy 100 percent of its electricity from a combination of wind energy and renewable energy credits derived from wind energy.[5]

In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency honored Swarthmore, Pennsylvania as a Green Power Community — the only one in the Eastern United States - for its commitment to buy clean energy generated from wind turbines in mountainous region of western Pennsylvania.[6]

In 2012, a coalition of wind farm developers, owner, operators, their supporters, and retail suppliers joined together to form ChoosePAWind. This coalition's goal is to educate Pennsylvanians about the environmental and economic benefits of supplying energy from local wind farms.

Many smaller wind farms in Pennsylvania are operated by NextEra Energy Resources, based in Florida.[7]

Wind farms
NameTurbinesCapacity
(MW)		Power
(MW·hr/yr)		Location
(county)		Year
Operational
Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm4080210,240[8]Blair and
Cambria		2007
Armenia Mountain Wind Farm67101unknownTioga and
Bradford		2010[9]
Bear Creek Wind Power Project122470,000[10]Luzerne2006
Big Level Project 25 90 2019
Casselman Wind Power Project2334.590,666[8]Somerset2007
Chestnut Flats Wind Farm1938unknownBlair and
Cambria		2011
Forward Wind Project1429.477,263[8]Somerset2008
Green Mountain Wind Energy Center810.427,331[8]Somerset2000
Highland Wind Farm2562.5unknownCambria2009[11]
Highland North Wind Farm3075unknownCambria2012
Kimberly Run Wind Project4080unknown[12]SomersetProposed
Laurel Hill Wind Energy Project3069unknownLycoming2012
Locust Ridge I132668,328[13]Schuylkill2004
Locust Ridge II51102268,056[8][14]Columbia and
Schuylkill		2008
Lookout Wind Project1837.899,338[8]Somerset2008
Mason Dixon Wind Project3060unknown[15]SomersetProposed
Mehoopany Wind Farm88[16]140.8[16]UnknownWyoming2012
Meyersdale Wind Power Project203078,840[8]Somerset2003
Mill Run Wind Energy Center101539,420[8]Fayette2001
North Allegheny Wind Farm3570[17]unknownBlair and
Cambria		2009
Patton Wind Farm15[18]30unknownCambria2012
Ringer Hill Wind Farm1439.9[19]unknownSomerset2016
Sandy Ridge Wind Farm2550[20]unknownCentre2012
Somerset Wind Farm6923,652[8]Somerset2001
South Chestnut Wind Project2346unknownFayette2011
Stonycreek Wind Farm3552.5[21]unknownSomerset2009
Twin Ridges Wind Farm68[22]140unknownSomerset2012
Waymart Wind Farm4364.5169,506[8][23]Wayne2003

Location map
Wind power projects in Pennsylvania
  Operating
  Under construction

Installed capacity and wind resources
Pennsylvania Wind Generation Capacity by Year
Megawatts of Wind Capacity [24][25][26][27]
2010 wind power density map for Pennsylvania at 80m above ground

The graph at left shows the end of year wind generation capacity growth from 1999 through 2019.

In a 2010 report, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory stated that Pennsylvania had potential to install up to about 3,300 MW of onshore wind power nameplate capacity at 80m, which would generate enough clean power annually to meet the energy needs of 1,168,000 homes, or 7,200 MW at 100m, capable of generating 21,200 GWh/year.[28][29]

Despite the state's limited shoreline, on Lake Erie, Pennsylvania has the potential to install up to 5,670 MW of offshore wind turbines in an area of 1,135 square kilometres (438 sq mi), capable of generating 23,571 GWh/year.[30] Offshore wind turbines tend to have a higher capacity factor than onshore wind turbines.

Wind generation
Pennsylvania Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh)
Year Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
20111,9681712062022261461307910787144195205
20122,12925219420720910715010676120206207294
20133,352
20143,564
20153,353391314416348206230132118156317363361
20163,476
20173,590
20183,566
20193,548

Source:[31][32][33]

See also

References
  1. A new crop takes root accessed March 1, 2010.
  2. State wind energy fact sheet - Pennsylvania, American Wind Energy Association, Dec. 2011
  3. "Pennsylvania Wind Energy" (PDF). U.S. Wind Energy State Facts. American Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  4. Wind Energy in Pennsylvania
  5. Pennsylvania profile ((secondary source)) Natural Resources Defense Council, accessed March 1, 2010.
  6. Town in Pennsylvania Catches Wind of Clean Energy Future April 7, 2009. Accessed March 2, 2010.
  7. Wind Farms in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Wind Working Group, accessed March 1, 2010.
  8. Wind farms in Pennsylvania Penn Futures: Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, accessed March 3, 2010.
  9. AES Wind Generation Announces Commercial Operation of Armenia Mountain Wind Farm, U.S. AES press release, January 4, 2010. Accessed March 6, 2010.
  10. Wind Farms in Pennsylvania accessed March 2, 2010.
  11. "Highland Wind Farm". White Construction. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  12. Everpower Wind Holdings, accessed January 28, 2015.
  13. Locust Ridge Wind Farm in Pennsylvania accessed March 1, 2010.
  14. 51 windmills will top local mountain; Massive project to stretch 10 miles March 23, 2008. Accessed March 1, 2010.
  15. Everpower Wind Holdings, accessed February 9, 2015.
  16. Renewable Energy Systems America, accessed July 28, 2013
  17. Duke Energy steps up US wind farm development July 6, 2009. Accessed March 30, 2010.
  18. Patton Wind Farm Accessed August 26, 2011.
  19. NJR completes Ringer Hill Wind Farm
  20. Gamesa moves turbine blades Gamesa moves turbine blades. Accessed August 26, 2012.
  21. U.S Wind Energy Projects, Pennsylvania American Wind Energy Association, December 31, 2009. Accessed March 30, 2010.
  22. 68-turbine wind farm to be constructed in Somerset Co. , accessed August 26, 2012.
  23. Waymart Wind Farm Safeway Wind Energy, accessed March 1, 2010.
  24. "Wind Powering America: Installed U.S. Wind Capacity and Wind Project Locations". U.S. Department of Energy. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  25. "AWEA 4th quarter 2011 Public Market Report" (PDF). American Wind Energy Association(AWEA). January 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  26. "WINDExchange: Installed Wind Capacity". U.S. Department of Energy. 29 December 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  27. "WINDExchange: U.S. Installed and Potential Wind Power Capacity and Generation". U.S. Department of Energy. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  28. "Estimates of Windy Land Area and Wind Energy Potential by State for Areas >= 30% Capacity Factor at 80m" (XLS). National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 2010-02-04. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  29. "Pennsylvania Wind Activities". National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 2010-02-19. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  30. Renewable Energy Technical Potential
  31. EIA (July 27, 2012). "Electric Power Monthly Table 1.17.A." United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  32. EIA. "EIA Electricity Data Browser". United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
  33. Wind Energy in Pennsylvania
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